“Lavion had an incredible college career and is going to be a tremendous addition to our staff,” Ferraro said. “He brings an expectation of success into our practice room every day. He entered Mizzou as a walk-on and climbed his way to the national finals, and that’s the kind of progress we want our guys to believe is possible.”

A 2017 graduate of Missouri, Mayes was just the fifth Tiger in program history to earn three All-American honors during his career. He reached the national final at 149 pounds at the most recent NCAA Championships in St. Louis, one year after taking third place in the 2016 Championships in New York City. He also earned All-America honors at 141 pounds in 2015, and qualified for the NCAA Championships at that same weight in 2014.

Overall, Mayes finished his collegiate career with a record of 122-24, including a 53-6 record in dual matches and a 25-4 record against Mid-American Conference (MAC) foes. He claimed 29 major decisions, seven technical falls and seven wins by fall through his career. Mayes became the 25th member of the 100-win club at Mizzou on Nov. 13, 2016 with a 9-4 win over Old Dominion’s Michael Hayes. His overall wins total ranks ninth in Mizzou history, his major decisions total fourth, and his overall winning percentage seventh.